Salt ‘Food Myth’ Debunked

The science cited by lobbyists for universal salt reduction simply isn’t compelling. Not only have they failed to prove the benefits of such a drastic measure, but they’ve also ignored the inevitable unintended negative side effects. And now a new study proves just that: Low sodium diets can be downright dangerous.

Salt isn’t the only ingredient that has unfairly found itself with a bad reputation. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is another. For years, nutrition activists have campaigned against the corn-based sweetener, claiming that its beet-derived cousin, table sugar, was supposedly healthier because it was “natural.” But according to decades of scientific research, HFCS affects our bodies in the same way as regular sugar. A 2006 story in The New York Times noted: